Botany Case

Lymphatic filariasis infection happens when a mosquito bites a person and transmit filarial parasites into the human. When a mosquito bites a person a parasite is deposited into the skin of a person and then the parasite will enter the body. The parasite entering into the person is called nematode commonly known as roundworms. Roundworms can live inside of a person for 6 to 8 years. While living inside a person roundworms will produce millions of larvae that will circulate in a person's blood stream (World Health Organization, 2011). Various types mosquitoes spread lymphatic filariasis. The Aides mosquitoes are found in many tropical areas, Anopheles mosquitoes are found in Africa, and the Culet mosquitos have been able to adapt and survive in both urban and rural areas. All three of these mosquitoes infect millions of people every year (Cheesbrough, 2006).

In 2011, there is approximately 1.3 billion people at risk in 81 different countries. 120 million people worldwide are infected, and 33 percent of the people infected are incapacitated or disfigured as a result. Sixty five percent of the people live in South-East Asia, 30 percent of people infected live in Africa, and the remaining 5 percent of the cases are found in various tropical areas outside of those two areas. Of the 40 million people are incapacitated or disfigured, 25 million people suffer from the genital disfigurement and the other 15 million suffer from lymphedema (World Health Organization, 2011).

Lymphatic filariasis infection causes three different types of conditions such as asymptomatic, acute, and chronic. People who are asymptomatic do not show any external signs of an infection, but the person suffers internal harm. The person who is asymptomatic suffers from a weakened immune system and damage to their kidneys and lymphatic system. Acute condition causes inflammation surrounding the area(s) where the person was bitten. The person also suffers inflammation of their lymphatic vessels and lymph nodes. The damage that is done to the immune system and lymphatic vessels can make a person susceptible to bacterial infection to their skin. People suffering from the chronic condition suffer the most debilitating effects. People develop severe lymphedema, there body accumulates fluids in their limbs and joints, and develop elephantiasis (Cheesbrough, 2006).

Lymphatic filariasis does not have a high mortality, but can have a devastating effect on a community. People who develop elephantiasis become outcast of a community and become depressed due to the fact that he/she has become an outcast of their society. There is an economic lost that a family may suffer due to the fact that a family member(s) may be out of work. Also people can become depressed because they are unable to provide for their family because of the condition there body is in. People of all ages are susceptible to Lymphatic filariasis. People do not usually suffer from acute and chronic conditions until early adulthood. This is due to the fact acute and chronic conditions usually do not happen until a person has years of exposure to the mosquitoes carrying the parasite (Cheesbrough, 2006) .

The World Health Organization recommends mass drug administration to be used in order to help people who live in areas endemic lymphatic filaisas, and mosquito control. Two drugs are often administered to people Albendazole and Ivermectin. These drugs are used to kill the parasite worms that cause lymphatic filarisas. In 2000, The World Health Organization launched the Global Program to Eliminate Lymphatic Filaisas; which uses mass drug administration and education to try and eradicate lymphatic filaisas. The program wanted to interrupt the transmission of the disease by administrating massive amounts of drugs annually to the 81countries where lymphatic filaisas is endemic. In 2009, 53 out of the 81 countries had implemented mass drug administration, 695 million people had been administered medication. The number of at risk people has drop by more than 40 percent since 2000. This program also provides education to people who have already been affected and health care workers. The program helps educate people to keep their skin as clean as possible and elevate limbs that are swolen. Another way to combat the spread of lymphatic filariasis is by mosquito control. There are two main ways to control mosquitos. One way is to spray insecticide and another is to create barriers between people and the mosquitos. An example of a barrier is an insecticide-treated net placed over the bed of a personnel (World Health Organization, 2011).

Lymphatic filariasis is not endemic to the United States, but United States citizens can become at risk of being infected. Various people from the United States travel across the world for numerous reasons. Three reason people travel are to work, to volunteer, and for leisure. These three reasons can put people at risk when traveling to areas that are endemic to Lymphatic filariasis. The military and individuals who volunteer are two major groups of people who need to take precautions when traveling to insure that they do not become infected.

The United States military has approximately 2.5 million men and